Christmas Swag

I got myself some gifts prior to Christmas from Tenkara USA, i.e. the Iwana 10ft handle (well, I guess it's actually now a 9'4" rod), a t-shirt, the bigger 27cm tamo and some level lines.

But my better half got me something much more special, a wooden hand-made tenkara fly box from fellow Tenkara USA forum member Rick Setina with a laser engraving of my name in Japanese. This box is of outstanding quality and a beauty just to look at. Can't wait to tie some more kebaris to fill it.

What tenkara swag did you get for Christmas?

Still Winter here but soon...

Today I headed out to the river for the first time this year. Not that I didn't want to go earlier, but family scheduling did unfortunately not allow for any river time until today. If I remember correctly, it was mid-December when I last headed out with my friend Will for some fishing in Waterton Canyon. 

The weather did only partially cooperate today; I wanted to head to the South Platte but the forecast called for gusts up to 50mph. Combine that kind of wind with your ultra light Tenkara rod and you might just as well go for a hike. I decided instead to head to Bear Creek that should have been somewhat sheltered in the canyon compared to the South Platte (gusts to 20mph instead of 50mph). 

I arrived around 9am and it was already in the 40ies. I hoped for a nice day of fishing... I decided to fish today with my new Caddis 330 and Tenkarabum's No. 3 level fc line (wind, remember?) and wanted to put my new Tamo that I received for Christmas to good use. 

Well....... it seems that I still have no clue how to fish in the Winter. I worked all the spots where I would hang out were I a trout and then some. Midges, nymphs and even dries (hey, you never know).  I guess it didn't help that some of the river was still frozen and snowed over and the water was really really really cold. I will have to either fish more in the Winter and collect experience and pay my dues or I should just go ski. I hear the skiing in Colorado should be really good. I wouldn't know since I haven't skied in Colorado since moving here in 2008. That is a story for another time though.

Anyway, I enjoyed the day out in the sun, trying to cast and catch some fish in some of the water that wasn't solid. The review on the Fountainhead Caddis 330 and the Tamo will have to wait for another day. Hopefully soon. 

Here are some pictures of today:

River Notes:

Bear Creek

Flow: 15cfs

Water Temp: cold (partly solid) 

Air Temp: 44F @ 9am, 52F @ 2.30pm

Weather: Sunny, very windy/breezy

New Toys & Apparel

I know I am bit late with this, but sometimes life gets into the way of the fun things. So, Christmas has come and gone and I am a lucky guy to have a very understanding better half that supports my additions, such as Tenkara, by sending me on mental health day fishing trips and putting up with all the fishing stuff in the garage and the feathers, fur, hooks, skins etc. in the basement.

That being said, she also pays attention to what I was saying, blogging and mumbling in the far corner of the basement in front of my tying vise.

So this year, under the Christmas tree, I found a brand new and beautiful Tamo - a Tenkara Net - as well as a nice and soft T-shirt from TenkaraUSA. She even thought of adding an extra enforced net leash to the order.

Next time I will be heading out, I will put the Tamo to the test, hopefully this will be soon since my crankiness is increasing by the day. And yes, the T-Shirt is very soft and comfy.

Tight Lines, -K

PS: This is the Year of Tenkara